


My Savior

by bubbles_oh



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Age Difference, Eventual Romance, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-09 09:56:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7797349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubbles_oh/pseuds/bubbles_oh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kris didn’t know when his duty as a good citizen ended and when his obsession with the injured youth began.<br/>Sehun didn’t know when his need to show gratitude ended and when his infatuation with the tall man began.</p>
<p>Neither knew when their affection toward each other ended and when their love began, but both knew that their lives would never be the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Foreword: View from the Window

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone -  
> This is my first fanfiction (ever). Please excuse my undefined writing style for the time being. -_-  
> Hope you enjoy this story, I know this is one of my favorite ships in EXO :)

Kris sighed as he removed his reading glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He’d had a long week, and wanted nothing more than to go back to his apartment and sleep. However, he had recently been selected to lead an important project, and the job had unfortunately resulted in him leaving the office a good 4 hours after his coworkers. But then again, Kris thought to himself, there was something peaceful about being all alone in his office, looking out the window at the street lined with various shops and restaurants.

Sometimes he would even pretend he could see the Han River from his large office window – and although he never dwelled on the childish thought for long, Kris occasionally imagined he could see his house in China. Even more occasionally, those thoughts led to reminiscing about the past and wondering why he’d left his family back in China for so long. A quick look at the pile of paperwork on his desk soon reminded him why he had left once he turned 18 – someone had to keep the family afloat in this worsening economy.

Besides, it’s not as though he hadn’t spoken with them at all in the past 6 years – there had been plenty of phone calls, FaceTimes, and even an (attempted) surprise visit last Christmas. Kris had found out through his blabbermouth sister and had promptly cancelled the tickets, cutting off his mother’s protests with a simple “We can’t afford it” before hanging up the phone.

Another sigh passed Kris’s lips as he stood from the uncomfortable office chair to go stand by the window. He began to ponder the sudden absence of phone calls that he’d had with his family for the past couple months, but was suddenly drawn out of his thoughts when he spotted a tall figure limping down the nearly empty sidewalk before dropping to its knees and crawling slowly before collapsing next to the bus stop.

 Just as Kris was about to rush out of his office to go and help the poor individual, he noticed another man kneel down next to the figure and pick them up. Sighing again, this time in relief, Kris glanced at his office clock for a full minute before realizing that he still had 3 more data files to input before he could call it a day.

As he turned his back on the window, Kris failed to notice the person who had collapsed struggling weakly against his supposed “helper.”


	2. Man in the Window

Sehun ran. He ran as fast as his injured body allowed him, slamming the door shut behind him as he bolted out of the apartment, sore feet hitting the pavement as he leaped off of the last few stairs and into the parking lot. A few people gave him odd looks as he raced down the sidewalk, but he didn’t care. He just had to get away.

Tonight had been the last straw.

Sehun had come home from work at 8 pm sharp as usual, throwing his tired body down on the battered (and slightly moldy) couch for only a few moments before jumping up again at the sound of heavy, uneven footsteps.

He sat down again after a few more minutes of silence, only to slowly stand up once again when he spotted a man who was definitely **not** his father in the bedroom doorway.

“Who are you? Where is my father?” Sehun asked cautiously as he looked at the man with wary eyes, searching for anything that might identify him as one of Seoul’s plentiful gang members. Completely focused in his observation, Sehun failed to notice that the man had taken several steps forward, only noticing once the man began to reply.

“I’m a friend of your father’s. Didn’t he tell you I was coming today?” the stranger replied with a predatory smirk on his face (covered, of course, by a thick layer of false innocence that didn’t have Sehun fooled in the slightest).

Sehun wrinkled his nose at the stench of alcohol, vomit, and cigarettes coming from the man’s mouth and took a few careful steps back.

“Where is my father?” Sehun questioned again.

“He’s gone out to buy more liquor. Should be back in a few minutes. But, in the meantime…” The man’s predatory smirk grew into an almost feral grin. “How about you and I have some fun, hmm?” The man advanced slowly, grin growing with every step he took.

Sehun frantically retreated, nearly tripping over the empty liquor bottles scattered around the living room in his panicked attempt to escape. _Why was this happening? Who **really** was this man?_ Sehun’s eyes darted over to the door of the apartment, quickly searching for signs of a break-in.

There were none. _So, not a robber, then,_ Sehun thought.

As he continued walking backward, eyes now focused on the man and hands raised in a weak attempt to protect himself, Sehun racked his brain for ways to get rid of this man (supposedly a friend of his father’s) or at least protect himself from what was sure to follow.

Suddenly, Sehun’s back hit the wall, and if possible, the man’s grin grew even wider, becoming a manic smile that sent Sehun’s thudding heart crashing down into his gut.

“Now, now, none of that. Your father won’t be back for another 15 minutes or so and you have no way to escape from me now. Just give in, and maybe I won’t tell your father that you displeased his friends,” the man said as though talking to a small child. Sehun’s breath caught in his throat as he tried to think of something to say that would make the man back off.

As the stranger placed one arm on either side of Sehun’s body, trapping him against the wall, he replied weakly,

“I think my father would be more displeased that a guest of his had the nerve to harm his son, and in such a vile manner as well.” The man chuckled a bit upon hearing this.

“Oh come on, little boy. You think your father’s friends don’t know what he does to you? Who do you think arranged for me to be the only one in the house when you came home?” the man replied cruelly. _No!_ Sehun’s mind screamed. _He’s your father! He would never do this to you!_

Sehun’s heart sank even further, twisting painfully as another part of his mind whispered: _Wouldn’t he?_

As the man reached one hand up to caress Sehun’s face and one down to grip his hip, Sehun had found himself wishing for the first time in his life that he had come home to his father instead. No matter how many times he had punched Sehun right in the face without caring for what others would think of the bruises, no matter how many times he had kicked Sehun’s perpetually cracked ribs and called him filthy names, spitting insults at him as he had coughed up blood on the floor, his father had never done anything like this to him. Would never touch him like this – Sehun knew this for a fact. One day when he had come back from school, his father had begun doing exactly what this man was doing to him, only to stop abruptly and scream, cursing Sehun for reminding him so much of his beloved wife who he had cared for beyond anything else in this world. His father had then proceeded to smash an empty soju bottle on Sehun’s head –

Wait. _Empty soju bottle…_

Sehun suddenly stopped squirming under the man’s caresses, going completely still as he quickly began to piece together a plan.

“That’s a good boy, Sehun. See, I knew you’d understand.” the man said in a triumphant voice as he started kissing Sehun’s neck. But Sehun paid him no mind as he figured out the best way to carry out his escape plan.

Just as the man leaned in to smash his lips against his, Sehun ducked under his arm and dashed toward the pile of empty soju bottles, picking one up and swinging it around just as the man charged at him.

**SMASH!**

Sehun stood watching the man for a brief second to make sure he wouldn’t give chase before dashing across the living room and leaping over the couch only to pause in shock as the door opened to reveal his father, bags of liquor draped over his forearms and a smug expression on his face that quickly turned to shock as he saw Sehun (fully clothed) in the doorway.

Sehun recovered quickly and delivered a solid punch right to his father’s nose before speeding out of the apartment and down the stairs, turning back only once to yell “Bastard!” at his father who had started to run after him. Sehun continued to run, bringing him to where he is now: racing through the streets of Seoul, taking lefts and rights randomly through twisting alleys as his father chased after him.

Making one last hasty right turn, Sehun paused for a moment to catch his breath, looking behind him for any sign of his father (or the other man). Silently cheering to himself once he realized he had gotten rid of his father, Sehun continued limping his way down the street towards the bus stop. He fell to his knees as a sudden wave of exhaustion overtook his bruised and battered body. However, Sehun was determined to not give after such a long struggle, and he crawled toward the bus stop, collapsing quickly once he reached it.

As he waited and prayed that he hadn’t missed the last bus, Sehun noticed something in the building across the street. It was a tall, young-looking man staring at him out of the only dimly-lit office in the building. As he watched, Sehun noticed the man turn around quickly as though he was about to grab his coat or exit the office, but then he turned back around just as quickly and continued to look at Sehun through the window.

Sehun watched as the man began looking a little to left of him with a – was that a relieved expression on his face? He followed the man’s gaze and tilted his head to look at the sidewalk behind him, only to gasp in shock as he saw his father approaching him with a sour look on his face and a bloody nose.

Sehun tried to move and crawl away, but his exhausted body wouldn’t budge even an inch. As his father reached him and knelt down, Sehun looked around frantically at the empty street. _Somebody!_ He thought. _Anybody! Save me!_ As Sehun felt himself being picked up by his father, he tried to yell for help, but all that escaped his mouth was a weak croak – it seems his voice had failed him too.

“Come on now, son. You really didn’t think you would get away that easily, especially after insulting my friend, did you?” Sehun’s father whispered condescendingly in his ear.

“Please…” Sehun managed to croak out as he weakly squirmed in his father’s grip. Sehun looked up at the window where he had noticed the tall man looking at him in hopes that the man would notice his struggles, but to no avail – the man had turned away and was no longer focused on the scene outside.

Sehun felt the tiredness creeping up on him, and said one more time to no one in particular, “Please…” before succumbing to the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will probably be in a week or so :)  
>  (please be patient with me)  
>  ~ bubbles


	3. The Dark Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like this update came faster than anyone expected :P  
> This is a fairly short chapter, but the next one will def be longer, which means it really will be a week before I update next.  
> Remember, patience is a virtue :)  
> ~bubbles

Light filtered through the only cracked, grime-covered window in the dingy single bedroom apartment, resting on the boy’s soft features and creating a beautiful picture of innocence.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and brushed the crust off of his eyelids before sitting up, thin blanket slipping off his shoulders and exposing his bare chest to the light breeze flowing through the room. Looking down, the boy’s sleep-dazed eyes widened in shock at the sight of the bruises scattered on his pale skin – and at the thick arm resting on his waist.

The boy’s heart sank as his eyes slowly trailed up the arm and rested on the face of its owner, opening almost impossibly wider as he identified the man as his father’s friend – and as the stranger who had tried to molest him the day before (leading to his attempted escape from the house). Dropping his head into his hands, the boy let out a distressed sound, Adam’s apple bobbing as he held in his sobs.

Regaining his composure after several minutes of dry sobbing, the boy sucked in a deep breath, removed the arm wrapped around his waist, and stood up, careful not to wake up the room’s other occupant. He lifted himself from the bed, eyes shining with sudden determination as he made his way to the tiny restroom, pale feet padding softly on the cracked concrete floor. But as he pulled on an old pair of jeans and a ratty T-shirt and stared at himself in the mirror, the boy shuddered – goosebumps forming on his bony arms as he recalled the previous night’s events.

Once he had regained consciousness after collapsing in the street, he noticed that he’d been tied to the headboard of the bed with the most decayed rope he’d ever seen in his life. Having been in this position before when his father beat him, Sehun had quickly untied the fairly loose knots around his wrists and – surprise at the easy victory not registering in his haste to escape – slipped out of the bedroom. He had snuck his way over to the door of the apartment and cracked it open just enough to slip out – at which moment his legs had been grabbed from behind, leaving him flailing as he hit the ground. Sehun had ignored the sting of his tongue (he had bitten it when his chin smashed against the floor) in favor of kicking wildly at the man behind him.

He heard a loud grunt, followed by a chain of expletives, and he knew he had hit his father (he was pretty sure no one else in Seoul had such a foul vocabulary). _Got you,_ Sehun had thought with a slightly hysterical grin on his face as he struggled to find his footing and pulled himself onto his feet.

But just as he had reached for the door handle once again, he was grabbed for the second time, this time squirming against the thick arms wrapped around his chest and trying to remove the hands trapping his arms – the same hands that had pinned Sehun’s arms above his head later that night as their owner had mercilessly pounded into him. The same hands that had wrapped around Sehun’s slender neck to silence his screams of help and had only let go when they had been reduced to soft sobs and the occasional whimper of pain. **The same arms that Sehun had found wrapped around his waist this morning.**

As he stared at his marred, unwashed face in the mirror, Sehun felt the determination and hope seeping out of his system and vanishing into thin air, never to return.

He sank to his knees as violent sobs overtook his body, shoulders shaking and tears dripping down his face.

It had really happened – the one thing that Sehun had thought he was safe from. His viriginity had been stolen by a man he despised with his whole being, and with it had gone the last bit of dignity that Sehun had left.

He had promised himself once – just after his mother’s death – that no matter what happened, he would never run away. Would never give his screwed up, vengeful father the satisfaction. But now, sitting on the floor of the bathroom, back resting against the toilet, Sehun had no idea where that strong boy had gone.

Perhaps he had died the day he realized that his mother was never coming back to save him from his father’s torture, and was merely waiting for the right moment to completely fade away. Perhaps he had only existed in Sehun’s imagination all along, destroyed violently by a monster his father considered a friend. It didn’t matter.

All Sehun knew is that the courageous boy from the past was never coming back.


	4. The CEO

Kris arrived at his workplace at precisely 8:30 AM, straightening his tie and running his hands through carefully gelled hair once before stepping into the building.

Today he would be presenting his first draft proposal and a project progress report to the director of his division as well as the CEO. However, he had been called into the director’s office a full hour and a half before the meeting was supposed to start, and when he had asked for the reason, the admin on the other end of the call had hung up the phone.

As Kris walked through the hallway leading to the director’s office, greeting his colleagues and coworkers with polite bows, he was suddenly reminded of being a student in high school and getting called into the principal’s office.

The same sweaty palms, thudding heart, trembling fingers – all of the signs that he was in for some serious reprimanding (all though he still wasn’t sure why) were present.

Which is why, when Kris cautiously opened the door of his director’s office expecting to be greeted by his angry face and instead was greeted by the CEO’s, he nearly had a heart attack.

“Sir!” Kris exclaimed, voice a few octaves higher than normal. “What are you doing here?!”

The CEO, a small (yet quite intimidating) man known as Kim Minseok, raised one perfect eyebrow upon hearing Kris’s exclamation.

_Oh shit_ , Kris thought, blushing a deep red and clapping his hands over his mouth once he realized how rude he’d just been.

“Sorry, sir!” He squeaked in shame. “I was just a little surprised. I was actually expecting to see the director here, so seeing you was a bit of a shock.”

The other chubby-cheeked man chuckled in amusement and replied good-naturedly:

“It’s quite alright, Mr. Wu – “Please, call me Kris, sir!” “ – alright, Kris, I just wanted to speak with you before the meeting today.”

Kris’s eyes widened with worry as his panicked mind began searching for anything he could have done wrong. Did the CEO not like his pre-proposal? Had he forgotten to add in a budget plan? OH MY GOD, HAD HE MISSED A DEADLINE?!

His hands began to tremble slightly and perspiration formed on his brow as he braced himself for the lecture that was sure to follow.

Noticing this, the CEO quickly rushed to dispel Kris’s worries:

“No, no… it’s not because you did something wrong.”

_Thank god_ , Kris thought in relief as he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. _I really don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost this job._

Unlike what the majority if the company thought, Kim Minseok was actually a very kind and compassionate man. He had heard about Kris’s situation and felt very sympathetic toward the tall, seemingly worry-free man. Thus, when he said his next words, it was with a gentle and reassuring tone.

“The schedule, budget plan, and data you sent us for the pre-proposal were perfect. However, I was informed a couple hours ago by your division’s director that our clients are expecting a few more changes to be made before the meeting at 10:00 AM – which they have unexpectedly decided to attend. Our –

“W-What?” Kris cut him off, relieved expression morphing into one filled with shock and confusion. “They are attending the meeting? And they expect _changes_?”

The CEO once again raised an eyebrow at the second uncharacteristic display of shock from his usually calm and collected employee, before replying,

“Yes, I believe that’s what I just said. Now, if you would allow me to continue – “Of course, sorry sir!”

The CEO shook his head in what can only be described as fond exasperation before continuing.

“Our clients have decided that the pre-proposal is lacking in one area; the model. They feel that although this advertisement is for a hand lotion, only having a hand model is not enough.”

“They want a full-body model.” Kris finished for him, nodding with a thoughtful look on his face. His brows furrowed slightly before he continued,

“But what does that have to do with me? My team doesn’t handle models, and I’m sure they would have waited until the meeting to suggest that I add it to the proposal or contact the aesthetics division.”

Although he kept a neutral expression while Kris was talking, Minseok was secretly surprised. He hadn’t expected Kris to catch on so quickly.

_Perceptive…just another reason to give him that promotion I’ve been waiting to give for months_ , Minseok thought. He shook himself out of his thoughts as Kris finished speaking.

“Spot on, Kris. Except for one thing – after seeing your work, the clients have specifically requested for you to look for a suitable model,” the CEO said.

“But why?” Kris questioned, brows furrowing even deeper in confusion.

“I don’t know what their reasons are, Kris.” the CEO replied with a sigh. “But what I do know is that I will be using your success – or failure – in this project to determine the future of your career in this company.” he finished with a pointed look on his face.

And with that, the CEO of Kim Design Inc. stepped out from behind the desk and walked to the door, reaching up to pat Kris’s shoulder once before exiting the office.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So this is basically a filler chapter that has some info that will be important later.  
> The next chapter will start bringing things together. It should be published soon :)  
> ~bubbles


	5. Part 1: An Idle Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, a 1100 word chapter! Sorry for the long wait, school started yesterday :'(  
> Part 2 should be up in a few days, but if not, apologies in advance..  
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)
> 
> ~bubbles

Kris stood in the middle of the office, mind racing as he thought about how he would go about this task.

To put it frankly, he was worried – not about the meeting, though.

Adding in a section about a new full-body model was nothing and could easily be accomplished in an hour.

No, Kris was worried about something else altogether. The CEO’s last few words seemed to echo in his mind, spinning around like a tornado and ripping up Kris’s composure like a plastic bag in a hurricane.

_I will be using your success – or failure – in this project to determine the future of your career in this company._

Basically, he was gonna get his non-model scouting ass fired if he didn’t do exactly that – scout for a model. _Unbelievable_ , Kris thought, shaking his head as he finally made his way out of the director’s office and began the journey to his own.

He had thought Minseok had a soft spot for him (how long could he really ignore the pity-filled glances sent his way?), but clearly his compassion didn’t extend till this new project.

Kris couldn’t blame him, though. No matter how prestigious Kim Designs was, for it to get a client like Park Cosmetics was an incredible achievement. So, yeah, Kris could understand why his CEO had resorted to threatening Kris’s job (and therefore his family, the one thing he actually cares about in life) in order to please them.

But that still didn’t explain how Kris was going to find a model in Seoul that as worthy of being featured in a Park Cosmetics advertisement, and with zero budget as well.

Because there were only two weeks left until the advertisement was released, the hand model’s section had been filmed and edited already, and the pictures for the billboards had been taken as well. It was far too late now to deny the model her payment, leaving Kris with no money to find a new model.

Now seated in the uncomfortable chair behind his office desk, Kris decided to save that problem for his apartment and a few cans of beer later that night. For now, he would add the section about finding a new model in the two days he left for emergencies, and hope that it would be enough to save his job – at least for today.

15 minutes later, Kris shut his laptop and leaned back in his chair. He checked the clock briefly to make sure he had some time before propping his feet up on his desk.

Unwillingly, his train of thought about the meeting drifted away from the tracks and onto a rather odd topic, one he had found himself thinking about a lot since last night.

 

\----

 

Meanwhile, the topic currently occupying Kris’s mind had finished his little mental breakdown and was rummaging around in his closet for presentable, not-ripped clothing. He tossed a pair of slightly small underwear into his ratty suitcase before zipping it up as far as the rusty chain would allow and stepping out of the closet. As he tiptoed out of the bedroom, Sehun made sure to avoid the arm sticking out of the bed and the pile of bottles on the floor. He opened the door slowly before peeking his head out and –

_Clink._

_Crap_ , Sehun thought, looking down at the pile of glass bottles on the floor (specifically, the one that he had accidentally hit with the door). _Crappity crap to the crapping crap_.

Sehun watched with bated breath as the single bottle he had nudged rolled away, stopping once it reached the corner of the room. He waited for a few more seconds before deeming it safe to open the door once more.

Slowly turning the knob, this time opening the door with much more caution than before, Sehun attempted to peek his head out once more – only to stop as he heard one of the most horrifying sounds he’d ever heard in his life.

_Clink. **Clink.**_ **_Clink._ **

_This can’t be happening,_ Sehun thought desperately, _there’s no way I’m going to get caught again_.

Body frozen in his spot, Sehun turned his head slightly to the left and paused for not more than a second before breaking into a full-on sprint, slamming the bedroom door behind him, rushing into the living room, and jumping over the couch his father lay on (much like he had done the previous evening) in his mad dash for the apartment door.

He had anticipated the groan of a person waking up just before it had happened, and therefore had been able to escape before his molester had fully woken up to the sound of the glass bottle mountain shattering.

As he ran out of the building and into the street, Sehun had one of the strangest thoughts he’d ever had: _I’m so glad my father is an abusive drunkard._ Thanks to his father, Sehun’s reflexes and senses were honed to perfection; he had learned from an early age how long it took for a man with a hangover to fully wake up, and how long he had to escape before it happened.

Silently rejoicing over his escape and looking over his shoulder every few seconds, Sehun turned into a narrow cobbled street that he decided was sufficiently far from his apartment and ducked into the equally tiny deli on the street side.

Picking up a menu and walking to the corner table, Sehun looked up and frowned as he caught sight of his reflection in the large wall mirror. He hadn’t gotten a chance to change out of his smelly, hole-y clothes before running for his life (literally) from the apartment.

He looked like a street rat – Sehun paused his train of thought here to remind himself that as of ten minutes ago he was a street rat – and it was clear that the deli’s owner thought the same.

As he watched the man (attempting) to give him discreet glances, Sehun noticed a few things.

Firstly, the man didn’t seem to be much older than himself. Secondly, he sported the same bottle-blonde hair color that Sehun had. Lastly, he was wearing a pink apron with the words ‘Warning: Mom in the Kitchen’ painted on this front in an even more garish shade of pink.

Deducing that this man was indeed harmless and would probably help him if he asked, Sehun approached the desk with quick silent footsteps…


	6. Part 2: The Shopkeeper's Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> Sorry for the later-than-expected update..school just started and I'm already losing my mind!  
> Anyways, hope you like this chapter :)
> 
> ~bubbles

…only to be blocked by another man who had seemingly appeared out of thin air.

Sehun stumbled back in shock, mind suddenly going blank as the shorter, lean man stepped forward with precise steps, forcing Sehun to retreat.

“Yah! Who do you think you are? You think a street rat like you can just walk in and rob people because they look harmless?” the man said in a dangerous voice.

But Sehun barely heard it, mind still focused on the situation that was terrifyingly similar to the one he had experienced only the day before. He could no longer comprehend anything, vision blurring as the image of the man before him suddenly shifted into that of his rapist before shifting back.

Seeing Sehun’s suddenly terrified expression the man advancing on him scoffed angrily before continuing:

“Yeah, you should be scared punk. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll never dare to try your schemes on another innocent person ever again.”

Sehun, having only vaguely heard what the man in front of him had said, frantically looked up, first looking at the man in front of him before turning a pleading expression to the apron-clothed shopkeeper.

Seeing no mercy on the shopkeeper’s face (only a surprised expression), Sehun continued to walk backward.

But there was only so far he could retreat in the tiny deli.

When his back hit the wall, whatever grip on reality Sehun had managed to preserve dissolved, and he slid to the floor, letting out a whimper as he curled in on himself.

It was clear that the recent trauma had seriously affected Sehun’s ability to differentiate between situations. Trapped in his memory of yesterday’s events, Sehun was sure that the man in front of him was his father’s friend, back to torture him once more.

Unbeknownst to him, the man who had previously been prepared to beat Sehun and kick him out of the deli now stood completely baffled in front of the sniveling, whimpering mess Sehun had become.

“Y-yah, kid. You better not be playing some kind of trick!” the man yelled in a threatening (yet unsure) voice.

Seeing that the only reaction he had gotten from Sehun was an even louder whimper, the man reached his arm out toward Sehun.

Only to be met with the loudest shriek he had ever heard.

Sehun scrambled to the corner of the small deli and hid under the table he had previously been seated at, still screaming at the top of his lungs. As the man reached for him again he screamed impossible louder, yelling “No!” and “Get away from me!”

In the midst of all the confusion, only one person understood what was happening. He had seen the slightly unfocussed, glazed-over look in Sehun’s eyes when the boy had glanced up at him before, and seeing the ratty clothes Sehun wore, the apron-clothed man was sure he was correct in his diagnosis. He ran out from behind the counter and yelled,

“Wait! Yixing, stop! He’s having a panic attack!”

The man who had been accusing Sehun, Yixing, paused with his arm stretched out toward the boy, at which Sehun’s screams dwindled back into soft whimpers.

“A panic attack?” he replied dubiously. “Are you sure he’s not just faking it? Come on, Junmyeon, just look at him –

The apron wearing man, Junmyeon, spoke up again, this time with barely concealed rage in his voice,

“I can’t believe you right now! Who else looked just like this, if not worse, when we first saw him? Why can’t you treat this poor boy the way you treated Kris?”

“But Jun, that was different. This dirty street rat was about to attack you!” Yixing replied indignantly.

“And Kris really was trying to pickpocket that man, right? Can’t you give the poor boy a chance? Or at least, move away from. With the state he’s in, you could actually end up frightening him to death, Xing.” Junmyeon said, eyes pleading Yixing to listen to him.

Yixing sighed deeply in defeat and frustration, and stepped away from Sehun’s still trembling body.

“Fine,” he said in a low voice, “But if he tries to hurt you –

“I won’t,” Sehun whispered, hoarse voice cracking on the second word.

Yixing and Junmyeon turned to him so fast that Sehun himself nearly got whiplash.  As they stared at him in shock (and rubbed their sore necks), Sehun shifted uncomfortably and tried to think of something to say.

Unbeknownst to the two older men, Sehun had been having his own mental dilemma about the whole situation while they were fighting.

At first when the man he now knew was called Yixing had begun yelling at him, Sehun had just been very confused as to what he had done wrong. However, just as he’d been about to voice his confusion, Yixing had stepped forward, and the scene transformed into one he really didn’t want to remember.

Yixing’s face had shifted into that of his father’s friend, and Junmyeon, although he hadn’t said a word, had become his father, unmoving and merciless.

He had gone into a state of shock that had only worsened once Junmyeon had begun to yell as well. Judging by the amount of tears on his face, Sehun was now aware that he’d been having a full-blown panic attack – something he hadn’t had since his mother had left him and his father.

However, something had been different this time. While Yixing and Junmyeon were both yelling at each other, a small part of Sehun’s subconscious had realized that Junmyeon was defending him.

And then the scene shifted. He was no longer reliving the trauma of the night before; he was further back in the past. Junmyeon was his mother, Yixing was his father, and suddenly, Sehun was twelve years old and watching his parents argue like they had done every night for the past four years. That was the night his mother had up and left for good.

The memory of that night was enough to pull Sehun out of his panic attack and open his mouth, the lisp that had been the cause of his parents’ last argument still barely present in his voice.

But now, as both men stared at him, Sehun realized that he didn’t have anything more to say. He realized why Yixing would have jumped to the conclusion that he was going to rob Junmyeon, and although he didn’t understand who Kris was and why Junmyeon was trying to defend Sehun, he still offered the only defense he could:

“I won’t hurt him,” he said again in a thick, low voice. “I’m not a robber, I just wanted some help. Not money, just food, I swear.”

Sehun watched anxiously as Yixing and Junmyeon stared each other down. His eyes flitted between Yixing’s angry face and Junmyeon’s pleading one, noting the gradual shift from anger to frustration in Yixing’s expression.

When he saw the veins on Yixing’s neck pop up at the sight of Junmyeon’s (impressive) puppy dog eyes, Sehun crossed his fingers and prayed.

_3…2…1…_

“FINE!” Yixing growl-shouted, mussing up his long brown hair in frustration. When he heard Junmyeon’s muffled “Yes!” Yixing continued, “But he better not turn out to be some kind of serial killer, or –

Sehun couldn’t contain his growing happiness any longer.

“I won’t! I’ll be the best stray you’ve ever picked up!” he exclaimed, getting off the floor on shaky legs and hugging Yixing tightly. “Even better than that Kris guy!”

Hearing Kris’s name, Junmyeon jumped up quickly.

“Oh shoot!” he exclaimed frantically, “What time is it?! We forgot to call Kris, Xingie, we were supposed to call him before his big meeting!”

Yixing checked his watch quickly before sighing in disappointment.

“It’s too late now,” he said, “the meeting was supposed to start at 10:00 AM. It’s already 10:15.”

Sehun watched Junmyeon’s face fall and frowned when he heard the man mumble something about letting Kris down.

“It’s okay, Junmyeon-ssi, we can go visit this Kris guy at wherever he works after the meeting.” Sehun said softly in an attempt to make his new rescuer happy.

While this was enough to make Junmyeon’s face brighten up, Yixing’s scoff after his statement made Sehun frown once again.

“We?” Yixing asked condescendingly. “I don’t know about you, Junnie, but I’m not taking the street rat anywhere in public with him looking and smelling like this. Actually, speaking of smell, get off of me street rat. You smell revolting.”

Sehun, who hadn’t realized that he was still clutching Yixing like a giant teddy bear, untangled his lanky limbs from the disgruntled man and scampered over to Junmyeon.

Junmyeon chuckled affectionately at first, but then – much to Sehun’s disappointment – wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell of Sehun’s unwashed, greasy hair.

“Euhh~ Yixing was right, you do need a bath, and some fresh clothes for sure –

Junmyeon paused abruptly, causing Sehun to look at him worriedly.

“Huh,” Junmyeon said in a surprised voice, “I can’t believe I forgot to ask your name!”

Sehun let a relieved breath before replying:

“Oh Sehun-imnida.”

Junmyeon smiled at Sehun in thanks before returning to what he was saying,

“Sehun here needs a shower, right, Xingie?”

“Right.” Yixing replied.

“And some clean clothes, right?”

“Right.” Yixing replied for the second time.

“And he shouldn’t have to sleep on the streets, right?”

“Right.” Yixing replied again, this time in a bored voice.

“So Sehun should stay with us, right?”

“Ri – wait no! Wrong!”

Junmyeon pouted adorably. “But why?” he said in a whiny voice.

“Because he just can’t! We don’t even know him!” Yixing said in a slightly raised voice.

“Pleeeaaasseee,” Junmyeon said in a cute voice (that he knew Yixing couldn’t resist), “Just for tonight. You said it yourself. Poor little Sehun shouldn’t have to sleep in the streets. We’ll take him somewhere else tomorrow, okay?”

Unlike before, Sehun watched the scene in amusement rather than nervousness. _Looks like the real dangerous one in their relationship is actually Junmyeon, not Yixing,_ Sehun thought with a small smile on his face. These two men evoked feelings in his heart that he hadn’t felt in a long time, since his early childhood.

Sehun unknowingly smiled a little wider when Yixing groaned in a sort of frustrated-resigned acceptance that he would never win against Junmyeon. Junmyeon clapped his hands excitedly and began untying his apron.

_Off to the shopkeeper’s home I go,_ Sehun thought, hands trembling slightly with both excitement and nervousness. _I wonder what it’ll be like…_


End file.
